Review: ASUS ROG Swift PG348Q Gaming Monitor

First unveiled last year and only just became commercially available, the ASUS ROG PG348Q gaming monitor has been highly anticipated for some time. And rightly so, because during my time with it, I am convinced that it is without a doubt the best 34-inch curved G-Sync monitor that money can buy.

Specifications:

Screen Size Class (diagonal): 34″ Curved

Panel Type: IPS

Aspect Ratio: 21:9

Resolution: 3440×1440

Refresh rate: 100Hz (G-SYNC)

Brightness (typical): 300 cd/m2

Contrast Ratio(Original): 100M:1

Response Time: 4ms

Viewing Angle (CR>10): 178/178

Connectivity: 1x HDMI & 1x DisplayPort

Speakers: 2x 2W

Tilt: Yes

Height Adjust: Yes

USB 3.0 Hub

Let’s begin by talking about the ASUS ROG PG348Q specifications. It has a curved 34-inch IPS panel display that outputs a resolution of 3440×1440 pixels, giving it an aspect ratio of 21:9. Other key specifications that you want to know is that it supports G-Sync, has a maximum refresh rate of 100Hz with G-Sync, and a response time of 4ms. The stand adjusts for both height and tilt, but not orientation, for obvious reasons. As for inputs, the Predator X34 accepts both DisplayPort and HDMI. You need to use DisplayPort for G-Sync, but the inclusion of an HDMI port means you can pair the monitor up with other devices such as Blu-ray players or gaming consoles. It also has four built-in USB 3.0 ports to double up as a USB hub.

IPS monitors have reached a very high standard these days, and the ROG PG348Q works very well out of the box. Colors are vivid and vibrant, and brightness uniformity is excellent with our test. But more importantly it performs well as a gaming display, thanks to its high refresh rate and G-Sync, and it’s great for doing work too. The kicker here is this; you see so much more in videogames that support the ultra-wide screen resolution, that it’s highly unlikely you will ever get used to a standard monitor frame ever again.

Perhaps the only part of the ROG PG348Q that might cause some mixed opinion is, ironically, it’s ROG heavy gamer-centric industrial design – the chassis and stand design is really a bit of a mixed bag. It’s very flamboyant and in places feels pleasingly expensive. But elsewhere, there’s some cheap plastic. Likewise, the so-called ‘frameless, edge-to-edge’ design translates into a fair amount of bezel in reality, and the LED mood lighting that projects a coloured logo onto the surface below the stand is at best a bit of fun and at worst just adds unwanted cost.

Still, I love playing and working on this ROG display. The ultra-wide display and sheer quality of its IPS panel make the overall experience pleasant and enjoyable on the eyes as compared to my regular flat-panel 27-inch monitor that I normally work on. There’s really a lot to like here.

One point of contention is the price, at S$2,099, which puts it at almost the top end on the premium range of any G-Sync gaming monitors. That premium though, is what affords you with the best experience, so it’s a case of weighing up how much you need these two game-enhancing extras. That decision is entirely up to you. Yet comparing the PG348Q against other displays is missing the point somewhat.

My advice boils down to something rather simple. If you have the hardware (like the upcoming NVIDIA Pascal-based cards) to support it and demand ultra-settings on your PC games, then the ASUS ROG PG348Q is the best widescreen gaming monitor available today. Plus, it works really well for normal productivity work too.